Finding Thor
by Shirahoshi
Summary: After the heir to the throne is kidnapped and the best men and women in the country couldn't find him, his fiancée and the Warriors Three can only depend on one person now. One person with who they didn't want to ever meet again. AU


Sif frowned as the four stepped into the crowded inn, shooking the snow out of her hair. The smoke of pipes stung her eyes, like dozens of needles would. If one thing she could not stand about inns, this was it.

An orange fire was crackling in the fireplace; probably the only friendly thing in the place, with its cold, bare, stone walls.

"Are you sure that this is the right place?" she whispered to Fandrall. "I do not dare to say that I knew him that well, but I doubt he'd set a foot in here. Ever. He always preferred luxury."

"When one is banished, he cannot choose between to many options," said the blonde man, as if talking from experience. "Besides, comparing it to some things we had gotten into during our journeys, it's like being in Heaven."

Sif scoffed.

"Than I'm happy I don't know about those."

"It's better for everyone. Can you see Volstagg and Hogun?"

"They're there. Right next to the window," she said nodding into the said direction. Fandrall smiled.

"Right. Then all we have to do is to find our little spider... Auch!" he yelled in surprise as somebody - a waitress - accidentally bumped into him from behind, spilling the contents of the mugs she was holding on him, but luckily mostly onto the floor.

"Watch it, woman! It's the third time today!" yelled the fat innkeeper angrily.

"I'm sorry, sir," said the female, her face reddening as the walls almost shook with the laughter of the guests. She looked at the warrior. "I'm truly, very sorry... Let me help you."

"It's quite all right," he laughed, "My, aren't you a pretty one.. What do you say about..."

The hidden dagger in the woman's sleeve that suddenly slipped into her hand, gave him the answer.

"He's here," she whispered, drying the mead up with a handkerchief. "The third table on the left, from the window. Him, and three other.s I don't know" She stepped back lowering her head.

"Once again, sir, I'm sorry..."

"I said, it's all right," forced Fandrall a smile onto himself. The woman once again bowed and left.

"So what are we going to do now?" whispered Fandrall to the other two as they settled down. Luckily all the other tables were full, so it wasn't that suspicious like it'd have been in case of an almost empty inn. "That's the only thing we didn't think of."

"The only thing _you _didn't think of. I and Hogun actually have a plan," said Sif.

"Which would be?"

"We try to be reasonable first."

"And if he says no? He has no reason to do otherwise."

"Then we'll convince him to come with us, but not as nicely as we did first time."

"That'll make him really cooperative."

"We do not need him to cooperate. We just need him to find Thor, and then he can be on his way."

"CHEATER!" roared suddenly somebody from the neighbour table, and several plates and mugs crashed as the giant of a man shoved the table aside, his thick finger pointing at the person cloaked in forest green cape. Sif moved, but Hogun caught her hand.

"Wait," he whispered. "Let's see what will he do."

Silver light flashed as the giant pulled out a hidden sword, which was albeit thin, none the less deadlier.

"You'll die, you son of a bitch!"

"I'd appreciate if you'd leave my mother out of this," spoke the other man, his voice tauntingly calm, "Although I'd be curious what's there to say about yours. Surely, something must be off in her head if..."

He didn't have time to finish as the sword flew towards him. He stepped aside, the blade only missing him by an inch.

The dance went on - the giant slashing around, hitting everything (and everybody) but his target, who always escaped the certain death by a few inches.

"He'll die! He's fast, but that won't be much use to him in a place like this," whispered the woman angrily to Hogun. Fandrall smirked.

"No, he won't. Seems like Little Loki picked up some skills since he left. Remember? He always had to use magic against Volstagg back in those times, and no offense, but you were a lot worse than that one now."

Meanwhile Loki seemed like he was starting to get bored, his expression oil to the already blazing fire.

And then the man tripped, his arms flailing around, desperate to catch anything. Instead he was caught. His expression was dumbfounded as he looked at the smiling Loki, just before turned into one that of fear and pain, looking at the dagger that was now standing from his side. White salive bubbled up from his mouth, and soon blood followed.

"He poisoned the knife," said Hogun as a matter-of-fact. Some waitress screamed as the attacker fell to the ground, howling and jerking around. Loki looked around at the petrified audience before tossing some silver coins onto the downside up table.

"For his funeral, too," he called out to the innkeeper, before pulling the door open and stepping outside into the (by now) near-blizzard.

"Quick!" yelled Volstagg, putting some coppers on their table, and casting a look at the unfinished mead, before rushing after the man, the others already on his trail.

Much to their surprise, Loki didn't go to another inn, where he might've slept, or even a brothel - he took his way towards the forest. They must've walked for fifteen minutes or so, before he stopped and turned.

"And now tell me," he said, his words understandable even through the screaming wind. "Why is the Warriors Three, my brother's trustworthy companionship and his beloved, Lady Sif following me?"

"You knew it?"

"Of course, I did. What do you think, who am I?"

"Let's see... Treator, trickster, sorcerer, liar..."

"Thank you, Volstagg, but it was a rhetorical question," said the man.

"Since when did you know?"

"Since you have come into the town. If you want to take me by surprise be sure to hide your presences better, or..." his eyes wandered onto the red-haired man, "Be a little bit more silent. But you have yet to answer my question."

"We... Need you."

"You need me? Ah... It's about Thor, isn't it? What did the buffoon do?"

"He was kidnapped. We don't know who did it. The palace was attacked, there was fighting, and no sign of him yet."

"And what do you expect me to do?"

"Find him. King Odin is ready to give you a royal pardon, if you do so."

"It sounds great, but I'm not somebody like the little spider you put on my trail. Besides, if the best men and women couldn't find him so far, how could I? And it's not like anybody would trust me, hence I might as well save myself the time. Before you ask, yes, this means no, I won't help you. So... Farewell!" he said, turning around.

"You cannot turn your back onto your brother!" yelled Sif.

"In fact, I'm turning my back on you!" Loki said, without looking back. The woman and Hogun exchanged a look.

Loki took a few steps, gave out a startled sound as a miniature arrow hit him between his neck and left shoulder, and finally fell.

"_That _was your plan?" asked Volstagg dumbfounded.

"We told you that we won't be as nice, didn't we?"

"He's a sorcerer! A _sorcerer_! He could turn all of us into frogs by just a flick of his wrist!"

"Lucky for us that he had to sign some papers before he could start school, then. This way he can do no such thing, or he'd be risking the wrath of the Elders."

"What are you talking about?"

Sif sighed. Sometimes it amazed her how little did her friends know about the other type of warriors, besides the "materials".

"Before they could start school, they have to swear that they only use their powers in order to hurt

if they're protecting something, be that themselves or others. Now, this is about dark magic, so he cannot turn us into anything if we don't let him. If we'd ask him to turn us into frogs, that'd be another story."

"I say, by knocking him out cold we have crossed the line. He could use the dark arts to protect himself from now on."

"Oh." Now she was the one to feel stupid. By a look at Hogun, she could see that it was something that not even him thought about. "Well... Let's hope he'll be in a better mood when he wakes up."

"Let's chain him," said Fandrall, "The All-Father enchanted them, so he wouldn't be able to use magic."

"I have a feeling that it's going to end badly," murmured Volstagg looking up at the grey sky.

-...-aaa-dddd-ggg-

**Oh my dear God. (Of Mischief, or Thunder, whichever you like better.) What have I gotten myself into again? **

**Now, OOC might happen. I'm still practising with them. Besides, unlike in some other fandoms (*cough* Bleach *cough) there are no characters I could actually imagine myself to be. **

**Well, maybe Loki, in a very small amount. Like if something bad happens, I'm always the first to blame. xD Guess I got that one from my dad, as well. Or so he said... But that's about it. So getting the characters more-less right is hard for me in this case... But I'll try.**

**There are three types of warriors in this - sorcerers (magic and stuff), materials (good ol' swords, spears, axes, etc.) and one everybody calls "worms" (if your mind isn't strong enough, they break into it and basically destroy you from the inside).**


End file.
